As a Gold Elite member of the Ritz Carlton rewards programme I thought I knew what standard of service and room facilities to expect. Arriving at the RC in Berlin I was surprised there was no dedicated member desk but check in was not unreasonably slow and I was offered a complimentary room upgrade. The room itself was newly renovated and light, airy and clean. There was a Nespresso together with three pods, and some teabags (no decaf tea), only one bathrobe – although there were two of us – and two pairs of slippers were provided. I asked for a second bathrobe, which did not arrive. The beds and pillows were comfortable however. There was no guest directory in the room, nor did the tv have one that worked and thus we had to check online for the restaurant opening times.
Unlike most higher-end hotels there was only one restaurant, which offered less fine dining, more fast food. The schnitzel was good though and the club sandwich, interestingly deconstructed with cubes of egg and scallop-shaped pieces of chicken, was tasty though surprising. However a bottle of still mineral water was priced at the outrageous sum of €17. Service was good and friendly.
The hot buffet breakfast was a bit of a disappointment compared to other hotel breakfasts available. Bacon, sausage, tomatoes with cheese topping, fried and boiled eggs were all that was on offer at the hot buffet, although one could order scrambled eggs, omelettes or waffles. However, the cold buffet was excellent with several types of fish, meats, cereals and breads. The beverage service was somewhat grudging and unsmiling.
Returning to the room after a long day, and wanting nothing so much as a cup of tea or coffee we found that the complimentary Nespresso section had not been refilled, and still no second gown. The bathroom had been given a cursory tidy up. Leaving for dinner I again asked for a second robe, and also to refill the drinks area. On our return we found two additional robes, bringing our room total to three, one chocolate (for two people) and no refilled drinks.
The following morning I left a note for room staff to leave coffee pods and tea. This was done although this time neither decaf tea nor coffee. The room and bathroom were both much more thoroughly cleaned.
The hotel was quiet, mostly filled with older families and business travellers. The concierge service was very good and the majority of staff cheerful and efficient. All in all though, there seemed to be an desire to cut costs throughout the hotel, no turn down service unless requested, for example. Judging from my experience this hotel does not have the facilities you expect from a Ritz-branded 5* hotel, however it’s location is perfect (a five minute walk from the Brandenburg gate and Reichstag), the majority of its staff are nice and professional and the rooms are comfortable.
